Durbridge Eyes Title Defence
Dual reigning national champion and WAIS athlete Luke Durbridge (ORICA-GreenEDGE) is primed for his double title defence at the 2014 Cycling Australia Road National Championships to be held in Ballarat, January 8-12, 2014.
The Perth cyclist dubbed ‘Turbo Durbo’ began his 2013 season in Ballarat, becoming the first male in the professional era to win both the time trial and the road race in the same year.
“It means a great deal for Australian cyclists, we really covet the green and gold jersey,” said Durbridge who also completed his first Grand Tour in 2013 – the Giro d’Italia, and won silver in the team time trial at the UCI World Championships.
“I’m quite patriotic and I really enjoyed the experience of riding the Giro and Paris-Roubaix in the jersey.”
Durbridge’s battle to defend his titles is expected to be fierce, with potentially the best men’s road nationals’ peloton to line up. For the first time it will feature two full-strength professional teams in Durbridge’s UCI Pro Tour Team ORICA-GreenEDGE, and Drapac Professional Cycling, which will be contesting its first event as a Pro-Conti team.
The 22-year-old will be looking to become just the second male in the professional era to win three consecutive time trial championships when he sets out on the new technically challenging Burrumbeet course on January 8.
Thursday’s twilight criterium will remain a highlight in Ballarat’s CBD, while all eyes will once again turn to the famous Buninyong 10.2km circuit when it returns to prominence as the course for the weekend’s road races. (View Maps)
“My focus is going to be on the time trial, I’d love to go three in a row,” explained Durbridge. “I love wearing the national colours over in Europe, and I look forward to checking out the new course.
“In the road race, Drapac are always a threat, they have won the nationals a couple of times so they obviously know how to win on the circuit.
“Next year will be a better situation for them with 14 riders or so, and not just any riders as they will have a great team, and it’s probably going to be the first time ORICA-GreenEDGE has been outnumbered.
“It (the road race) is going to be really tough with the change, and with the heat too. But change is good and it wil create a great spectacle and it will be really exciting for the fans to see all the riders go around the Mt Buninyong loop 18 times like the world championships,” Durbridge said.
The five-day festival of cycling attracted records crowds in 2013, continuing the steady growth in the event’s popularity on a local and national level. In 2014 the event will boast for the first time a celebrity race to further entertain and excite the tens of thousands of fans descending on the Ballarat region.
President of Cycling Australia Gerry Ryanis anticipating another tremendous Championships and encourages all cycling fans to take in the live spectacle.
“The MARS Cycling Australia Road National Championships is the pinnacle of the Australian road cycling calendar and we look forward to delivering yet another world class event in conjunction with the City of Ballarat and MARS,” said Ryan.
“The Championships provide anunparalleledopportunity for Australian cycling fans to see the nation’s, and the world’s, best cyclists on home soilbattling for the prestige of the green and gold jersey.
“I look forward to joining the thousands of cycling enthusiasts who will line theChampionships’courses to cheer their cycling heroes,” Ryan added.
In the women’s event, South Australia’s Carlee Taylorwill make her debut with an ORICA-AIS team eager to continue its impressive performance which has captured five of six national championships in its first two years.
“I’ve won two under 23 women’s championships on that course, which is always is a race of attrition, but it is one that suits me,” said Taylor.
“On that type of course, it’s really beneficial when you have a strong team. In the past they (ORICA-AIS) have always raced so well and I’ve always been against that, so I’m looking forward to racing next year as part of the ORICA-AIS team.”
Schedule
Wednesday, 8 January – Time Trials – Burrumbeet
- 10:30am: U23 Men’s Time Trial
- 12:00pm: Elite & U23 Women’s Time Trial
- 2:30pm: Elite Men’s Time Trial
Thursday, 9 January – Criteriums – Sturt Street, Ballarat
- 4:30pm: U23 Men’s Criterium
- 5:30pm: Elite & U23 Women’s Criterium
- 7:00pm: Elite Men’s Criterium
Saturday 11 – Road Race – Geelong Rd, Buninyong
- 9:00am: U23 Men’s Road Race
- 1:30pm: Elite & U23 Women’s Road Race
Sunday 12 January – Road Race – Geelong Rd, Buninyong
- 11:30am: Elite Men’s Road Race
-CyclingAustralia